Sheet article containing cassette and system

Abstract

Herein disclosed is a sheet article containing cassette which has a holding function to contain a sheet article, even if the cassette is in a vertical position with its ejection slot down, or to eject the sheet article without fail. Also disclosed is a sheet article containing system which has a holding function to contain a sheet article, even if it is in a vertical position with its ejection slot down, or to eject the sheet article. These functions can be achieved by holding means for holding the sheet article frictionally, by a slide member for pushing the sheet article, by magnetically attracting means disposed at the sheet article and the cassette, and by magnetically attracting means disposed on the sheet article and the apparatus using the same. That is, by the present invention, the sheet article can be ejected and containing in the cassette even if the cassette is loaded in any position, particularly in vertical position with its ejection slot down. Therefore, according to the present invention, it can be automatically executed with the simple construction that the stimulable phosphor sheet is transferred from the cassette to the radiation image information reading apparatus and that the read phosphor sheet is contained in the cassette.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sheet article containing cassette for use in a machine which introduces and extracts the sheet article from the cassette, comprising: a casing for containing the sheet article, said casing having an opening formed therein on one end and having an end opposite the opening;   a cover for opening and closing the opening, said cover being movably secured to said casing closer to the end at which the opening is formed than to the end opposite the opening;   fastening means for securing said sheet article inside said casing regardless of whether said opening is open or closed; and   a rigid member formed on an abutting inner wall face of said casing, said rigid member cooperating with a roller of the machine for introducing and extracting said sheet article.   
     
     
       2. A sheet article containing cassette according to claim 1, wherein said sheet article includes a recording medium having a recording layer on a substrate, wherein said fastening means is adapted to frictionally abut against the substrate of said sheet article, and wherein said casing includes an abutting inner wall face against which said sheet article is secured by said fastening means. 
     
     
       3. A sheet article containing cassette according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes an elastic member. 
     
     
       4. A sheet article containing system for containing a sheet article in the cassette defined by claim 1, wherein said sheet article has a back face which faces the inner wall face of said casing when said sheet article is contained in the cassette, and, wherein a magnet is arranged on one of the back face of said sheet article and the inner wall face of said casing, and a member to be magnetically attracted by said magnet is arranged on the other of the inner back face of the sheet article and the inner wall face of said casing so that said sheet article is contained in the casing by the attraction of said magnet and said member to each other.   
     
     
       5. A sheet article containing system according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said magnet and said member to be magnetically attracted by at least one of said magnet is tapered in the containing direction of said sheet article. 
     
     
       6. A sheet article containing system according to claim 4, wherein a member for protecting the front surface of said sheet article is disposed on the abutting inner wall face of said casing against said front surface. 
     
     
       7. A sheet article containing system for containing a sheet article in a cassette according to claim 1, wherein when said cassette is loaded in the machine, an electromagnet is arranged in a container loading unit of said machine and a magnetic member to be magnetically attracted by said electromagnet is arranged on a back face of said sheet article, so that after said sheet article has been conveyed to a predetermined position in said cassette by conveying means of said machine, said electromagnet is energized to attract said magnetic member to close the cover of said casing.   
     
     
       8. A sheet article containing system according to claim 7, wherein a member for protecting the front surface of said sheet article is disposed on the abutting face of the inner wall of said casing against said front surface. 
     
     
       9. A sheet article containing cassette according to claim 1, wherein said casing comprises a through hole into which a cassette-securing member provided with an apparatus for reliably securing the cassette in position loaded in the apparatus, and wherein said fastening means is a clip means comprising; a sheet article-fastening portion which is in compressive contact with the sheet article at one point, and   a biasing mechanism bringing said sheet article-fastening portion into said compressive contact with said sheet article,   said cassette-securing member being inserted into said through hole to deform said biasing mechanism to thereby bring said sheet article-fastening portion of said clip means out of said compressive contact with said sheet article and release said sheet article from said clip means.   
     
     
       10. The sheet article containing cassette according to claim 1, wherein said casing comprises a through hole into which a cassette-securing member provided with an apparatus for reliably securing the cassette in position loaded in the apparatus, and wherein said fastening means comprises; a sheet article-fastening member extending in transverse direction from one side to the other side of said casing, said sheet article-fastening member being secured to said casing at least at one end such that said sheet article-fastening member is movable between a sheet article-fastening position wherein said sheet article-fastening member is in compressive contact with said sheet article over its width and a sheet article-releasing position wherein said sheet article-fastening member is no longer in contact with said sheet article, and   a spring member for bringing said sheet article-fastening member into said compressive contact with said sheet article,   said cassette-securing member being inserted into said through hole to directly or indirectly push said sheet article-fastening member to thereby move said sheet article-fastening member from its sheet-article fastening position to its sheet-article releasing position against biasing of said spring member.   
     
     
       11. A sheet article containing cassette according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes a magnetic member disposed on a back face of said sheet article and a magnet disposed on an inner wall face of said cassette, so that said magnetic member is attracted to said second magnet and said sheet article is secured within said cassette. 
     
     
       12. A sheet article containing cassette according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes a magnetic member disposed on a back face of said sheet article and an electromagnet disposed outside said cassette, so that said magnetic member is attracted to said electromagnet when said electromagnet is energized and said sheet article is secured within said cassette. 
     
     
       13. A sheet article containing cassette according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes pawls pivotally supported by said casing.